Xearak's Tale
by IloveJesus7390
Summary: This is part of my application and may some day be a full story. Includes a clan of draik and a lot of adventure. 0o
1. An Exceptional Find

**Author's Note (Please Read):** This is my story for Xearak's application. It starts with The Heart of the Flame clan, a clan of draiks. They are running through haunted woods when they pick up something.

**A bit about the clan**: I was given inspiration for this after I wasn't chosen as a finalist for another draik. There are six draiks which will all be introduced as the story progresses. They _are _a made up clan because I haven't had a chance to own a draik and it's fun pretending. I may finish this one day, even if I am not chosen for Xearak.

* * *

A thick mist filled the haunted woods that could blind even the sharpest eye.To top it off, the forecast showed no signs of lightening up. The wood was silent, as if the rain was all that was ever heard. It echoed off the trees and the rolling landscape, carrying far into the region. 

Dark splotches of green and brown were the only color the mind could register that day. It was then heavy paws padded the ground repeatedly, kicking up the loose mud and slipping through the wood as unnoticed as they could remain. They could remind one of a herd of leaping Ogrin, crashing through the brush, or the rumble of distant thunder.

The lead draik leapt over a gap in the earth about twenty meters wide as if it was nothing. A dark red mane was tangled and mud stained from the run. Five draiks came to a halt at the top of the cliff as he skidded to a halt.

"Why'd you stop?" demanded Vesren, barring his fangs. The darigan draik breathed deeply.

Xaevorn twisted his neck around and eyed his opponent with an intense furious air. He looked like he was about to utter a phrase when he heard it again.

"Listen," prompted Kohl, a checkered draik and Versen's closest friend.

With sensitive ears the clan could even hear the softest footsteps over the downpour of rain. Xaevorn shifted his weight and twisted his neck around sharply, indicating that they go check it out. A few full strides away, line of indentations zigzagged down the face of the cliff. Those with wings took advantage of the air and glided to the wet stony ground.

The crevice in the earth was a basin ready to be filled. With the canyon walls now magnifying the sound, it made it exceptionally easy for Xaevorn to track the noise. When they came upon the source, the whole clan was surprised. At the mouth of a cave, a Darigan Lupe lied on his stomach and sunk his teeth into a plushie draik's foreleg.

The wolf neopet's sensitive ears twitched foreword and he looked up, letting his new found toy fall to the ground. "What brings you to my territory draiks?" he slurred the last part maliciously.

"It was curiosity on his part," commented Kohl.

Xaevorn shot him a death glare and returned his gaze to the lupe. "It's none of your concern. Drop the act and return what isn't yours."

"I don't think so," he slowly walked foreword and stopped. The air tensed up between the clan and every draik felt this. Even though they had been aware of his next move, they weren't expecting it as quickly. The lupe lunged at Xaevorn and caught him around the neck. Vesren joined the brawl while Zyst, an island draik landed next to Xearak.

The small plushie pet lifted his head despite his severed plush limb. "Thank you," he whispered before falling into the black abyss of unconsciousness.

Zyst delicately lifted the draik with her jaws, careful not to tear his material and flung him onto her back. To the side, the lupe and Xaevorn were still locked in battle. Snarling and flashes of white canines were all that could be distinguished between the two. The battle seemed to go on forever until a howl split the eerie silence for those outside the scuffle.

The darigan lupe fell uncharacteristically limp to the ground. He laughed quietly and mumbled something about his pack coming.

Xaevorn looked up; small red splatters dotted his hide. "Move."

Zyst flew ahead making sure the coast was clear and searching for a way out of the canyon. A half a mile later the canyon steadily curved up in one spot. It was a path that the clan used to their advantage. Even after they escaped the deep crevice, they ran until they found enough shelter under the overhang of a rock plate on the beaches of Haunted Woods.

Morning came and Xearak woke, feeling sore all over. His severed limb lay on the ground next to him but he was no longer in the lupe's territory. Looking up with a black button eye he found that there were five other draiks lounging about under an overhang. The one he remembered, the island draik slept next to him, probably to make sure he was alright.

Xearak could move with no problem and probably fly but why did these draiks save him? He needed to know. He tried prodding Zyst with a plush fill arm and only succeeded in making her turn onto her back and sigh. Sighing, Xearak stood and flapped his wings to make it over the others without waking them.

"So you're awake," stated Xaevorn.

Xearak quickly turned to find supposedly the leader. His white hide had the slightest trace blood. A mosaic-like chest told Xearak that his color was camouflage. His dark red mane was still matted with dry mud.

"Yeah, who are you?"

"I go by Xaevorn, learn it so I don't have to repeat myself again."

The plushie draik perked up, "That's easy to remember."

He waved a plush filled paw, spraying some water.

"It's just like my name!"

Xaevorn's eyes showed some interest. "Hi, I'm Xearak. I usually look more presentable than this. But thanks to circumstances out of my control-"

He chortled and Xaevorn grimaced. "You could have been killed kid."

It was a mental blow on Xearak's feeble mind. His expression saddened. "I was going to say that I've been through worse."

Several claws scratched the stone behind him and Kohlador stood. "Don't be so harsh Xae," he looked up at the plushie draik.

Xaevorn rolled his eyes and jumped down, spraying a sheet of sand in Kohlador's direction. Kohlador shed back as Xaevorn strode towards the open water.

"You all have five minutes," with that he was gone.

Kohlador shook lazily until his mane was sand free.

"What's wrong with him?" Xearak inquired.

"Don't worry; he's like that to everyone."

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What do all of you anonymus readers think:o Was it interesting?

Your fellow author,

ILJ


	2. His Past Revealed

**Author's Note:** This chapter contains Xearak's past of course. What'll happen next?

When Xearak is explaining his past the _italicized_ text means that he is acting in his story. Hopefully that'll make it easier to follow.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own neopets just my characters. I sure wish I could though 0-o

* * *

They met Xaevorn down the beach at a small port, where he informed them that he had arranged a ride to Brightvale. By then Xearak had an almost clear idea of who was in the clan. 

Xaevorn was a camouflage draik and leader of the clan. Apparently he and a few others escaped the Mad Scientist long ago.

Versen was darigan and Xaevorn's right hand. Wae was painted grey and had an optimistic personality. Kyza was painted bright orange and hated her purple spots. Zyst was the one to offer a bird's eye view in case of trouble, and Kohl was checkered with a funny personality.

To most of the clan, it was only natural to travel across the sea on a ship. Xearak was elated at the chance. The ship was an overwhelming mass of fine woodwork. Sleek decks reflected dimly off the rising sun. It turned out the ship was run by a small crew of pirate pets that all had a story to tell.

The captain was a pirate lupe and kept to himself. Though he reminded Xearak much of Xaevorn. Zyst was surprised at his behavior. The plushie draik had just been through a rough ordeal with a darigan lupe and was sucking up to this one.

"Avast, we be casting off," barked the pirate lupe.

The anchor was raised by some of the crew and Xearak watched the bulky sheet catch the winds. That same wind felt the best on his face.

"So captain," prompted Xearak.

"What can I do for you?" he slurred.

"Your sword, can I see it?"

The lupe look offended. "No man should ever hand off his weapon to another."

"I won't break it," Xearak promised with a hand crossed over his heart (Well, where it would be if he had one.)

"What'll you bargain for a glimpse?"

Xearak thought a second and loosened the string around his severed plush leg.

"How about my leg?" he offered.

The lupe did not look aghast at the least. He was made of plush. It wasn't that sickening.

"You've got a deal."

The metal scrapped against the sheath as he removed the blade. On the hilt were elegant designs in a language foreign to Xearak. It was a cutlass. Though the sight of a sharp and deadly blade would keep any plushie running for a safe-haven, he was drawn by his immense obsession with pirates.

Before he could touch the cool metal of the blade, it slid back into its sheath. Xearak started.

"That was hardly enough time to catch a glimpse!"

"We made a deal, and in that deal you stated you wanted a glimpse, so a glimpse is all you be gettin'," he cackled.

"Never trust a pirate," Xearak stated, walking to the rail.

* * *

That night the waves were unusually calm. They had made good time in the long hours of travel. With a meal of bread and mugs filled to the brim, everyone sat around on the deck, enjoying themselves. Kohlador seemed restless though.

He was pacing back and forth like a untamed uni who wanted out of its stall. If the deck wasn't made of wood, he would have run a short ditch in the ground. Zyst shook her head and took a bite out of the bread.

Seeing Xearak, she waved him over.

"Have you gotten something to eat yet?"

"I'm full of plush, what _can_ I eat?"

He sat down next to Zyst and looked up at Kohlador. "He's been doing that for hours. Is he alright?"

"He despises going across the ocean, having experienced a bad ordeal when he was younger," she explained.

Xearak raised his brow.

Zyst looked down at where Xearak's leg had been torn to find that it was gone. "What happened to your leg!"

"Oh, about that," Xearak smiled sheepishly. "Don't make a bargain with a pirate."

Zyst smirked, showing her large canines and laughed.

"How about a story?" Xearak offered. "I know you've been dying to know about my past."

Hastily, Zyst nodded. "That would be great."

"It's not as if we have anything better to do," he raised his voice purposely. "I didn't know pirate ships moved so slow."

Lowering his voice to an acceptable tone, he began.

"I was born and raised in Meridell, a few miles from the coast. It was a small town; I don't quite remember the name at the moment," his frown was almost imperceptible. "My mother was always over protective of me. She would not even let me go out of her sight until I was eight years old! She always believed that I would grow up to be like my father, a trophy battledome pet."

"Of course being plushie had no advantage because I would find my stitches dirt crested or sometimes torn. Once, I even found myself at the bottom of a lake. Don't provoke the Darigan pets, no matter how much you despise them," Xearak slashed the air with his paw.

"Once I was allowed to venture off a little further, I discovered the joys of exploring. I had some other friends whom were all wonderful draiks. We loved to explore the river that wound up to the ocean and brave the rapids that ran through the woods. The fun would last from dawn to dusk, sometimes carrying far into the night. I eventually went off to better places, but my mother became unsure of herself."

"I guess she was like every mother who wouldn't like to see her baby kidnapped by some crazy owner. She didn't understand that I could take care of myself. Although I couldn't fly at the time I hung out with draiks who could."

"How is it you can fly now?" Zyst asked.

"Let me finish my story," Xearak leaned back against the pole that supported the crow's nest. "Because she was worried my mother didn't let me leave one day. She explained that she wanted to show me something special."

"I was annoyed because I promised my friends that I would be out at dawn. It was going to be the big day. We were going to ride to the coastline on our raft."

"I went out and met her in a small grove in the back yard. She held a scroll of some sort and looked patient, sure of herself, yet a little uncertain."

"_So, what's this all about?" I asked, cocking my head to the side._

"_Xearak, you've not been granted the ability to fly because of your color. Do you wish to fly?" she asked._

"My curiosity was immediately sparked."

"_To fly? Actually use these useless wings?"_

"_Yes, but only if you truly wish to learn. It'll be pretty hard for you because you're a plushie but I think we can manage."_

"_Where do I sign up?"_

"_Come," she beckoned. _

"I stood at her side in an instant."

"_This is an airbending scroll."_

"_A what?" I asked with a chuckle._

"_An airbending scroll," she repeated. "The ability to bend air has been passed down our family line for hundreds of years, even before Maraqua and Kreludor were discovered."_

"_What do you do?" I asked eagerly, having forgotten my plans for the day._

"_You must feel the spirit that you posses. Only with spirit can you lift yourself into the air," she explained flapping her wings._

"_Alright," I said, drawling out the word._

"She explained to me how you need spirit most of all. Without that you're rooted to the ground. It wasn't like the stories I'd heard where neopets learned to fly with a pinch of faerie dust. It was real."

"Interesting," Zyst commented. "I've never heard of such an ability and I've been everywhere in Neopia."

"Yeah, I didn't believe it until the next week. She had me practicing breathing exercises for hours on the roof top. I was so bored and frustrated that I almost gave up. My friends had come by and seen me doing these exercises. To my surprise, they ridiculed me, and began to hang out with the new draik in our town. I needed to put a stop to this before I lost everything."

"_Mother, a word please?" I asked slamming the door on its hinges._

_Her brow curved inward. "How many times have I told you not to slam that door? We've saved up barely enough neopoints to keep dinner on the table. We can't afford another replacement."_

"I was frustrated to my breaking point."

"_Sorry mother, but I came to tell you that I no longer desire to learn airbending. It's boring sitting on the roof for hours and if I don't go with my friends tomorrow, they may not want me to hang out with them anymore! I thought this would teach me how to fly but it's not! I already know how to breathe air and stuff. I want to learn how to fly!"_

_She looked appalled that I had even shouted at her. Then her expression turned grave. _

"_To bed, now."_

"_But it's only eight o'clock!"_

"_Now," she pointed a finger toward my room down the hallway. I stomped off._

"Laying in bed that night I had an idea. Well after midnight, I peeked open my eyes and slipped out of bed. I found my mother's scroll underneath her bed. It was hard to get past her but she was sound asleep. Then I did the worst thing, I ran away from home."

Zyst nodded, a lot of information going through her mind. "What did you do next?"

Xearak stretched his arms and sat up. "Well, I said farewell to my mother in a note that I left. I was headed toward the coastline, never having left the town before. It was a bit overwhelming, but at the same time so intriguing."

"The smell of the salty air was so familiar even though I'd only been there a couple of hours. The crowds allowed you to get around unnoticed and then I discovered the best thing. Pirates docked regularly and some were even on friendly terms with the people."

"I took off to the woods again the next day and practiced airbending. After a few hours of going through the stances and even some of the stupid breathing exercises I was thrilled to find I was hovering a few feet in the air. After that everything fell into place. I learned how to fly without propelling myself with my paws, just flapping my wings was enough."

Xearak sighed, "I eventually learned all the techniques on the scroll. But that's another story for another day."

Zyst nodded, "Your childhood is much different than mine."

Xearak looked around to see that Kohlador was sleeping on a wooden crate. He had finally calmed down and was probably listening in on Xearak's story because of how close the crate was. "It's late," Xearak plopped onto his stomach and closed his eyes.

Taking in a deep whiff of the salty sea air, he would rather be nowhere else than there. The crescent Kreludor moon shown brightly in the sky, seeming to aid the stars all around it.

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Was that boring or brilliant? Somewhere in between? Let me know so I can improve. 

Your fellow author,

ILJ


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